E&H Swimmer Blake Madaris Finds Balance

Guest Contributor, Tatum Harvel

Blake Madaris was recently named ODAC swimmer of the week for Emory & Henry College, and while he has spent his life swimming, he also has a life outside the pool.

Madaris came to E&H from Kenshaw, Georgia, to be a part of the men’s swimming team. He says, “I started swimming when I was five at a summer league team. When I was seven, I joined a club team. It’s like a travel team; it took a lot of work. When I was in high school, I was on that team and now I’m here.”

Madaris is a junior exercise science major and is planning to pursue a career in physical therapy. As well as his educational pursuits, he keeps himself busy with other extracurricular activities, as well as spending time with his friends and fraternity.

“I am heavily involved in Greek life, and I’m on the Greek Council Board. I like hiking and playing disk golf as well. I don’t find a lot of time to do those things with school, but I love getting to share in those activities with my friends,” Madaris says.

Madaris also sets aside time for his friends and family. Those in the wasp community and beyond have been a big vocal point in his life. He strives to learn and grow from them any chance he can.

“The most important things to me are my friends and family. They’ve definitely shaped me into the person I am today. My friends from my fraternity and swimming have really brought me out of my shell and helped me be the best person I am right now,” he states.
Madaris has made a big commitment to E&H, carving out time for his education, extracurriculars, and swimming. To anyone looking to follow in the footsteps of being a student athlete, Madaris says,“Get used to waking up really early for 6 a.m. practices and being tired constantly. I will say, it’s always a fun thing to do. I really enjoy it. I’ve never wanted to quit or anything. It’s definitely worth all the time put into it and it’s always rewarding.”